The premier web site of Edo speaking people.

Nation of people who are mostly located in the Midwestern part of Nigeria,
Western Africa.

GOODWILL MESSAGE

BY

THE OMO N� OBA N�
EDO, UKU AKPOLOPKOLO, OBA OF BENIN

ON
THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING CEREMONY OF

EDO UNITY CONFERENCE,

HELD IN
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, ON

4TH
OF OCTOBER, 2003.

I
like to thank the organizers of the
conference for inviting me to be part of
the occasion. I salute you all and
welcome all the participants who have
come from far and near to attend this
conference. I appreciate your kind
invitation to me, but since I am not
chanced to attend personally, I have
sent one of my chiefs, Chief Nasakhare
Isekhure, The Isekhure of Benin to
present this goodwill message to make my
presence felt amongst you.

I
congratulate the Edo Global
Organization, an umbrella organization
for
Edo�s
in Diaspora, and the Edo Community in
Manchester,
for organizing this conference to rub
minds on issues bordering on the well
being of its members, and for the common
good of your father land. I have been
invited to similar convention organized
by the Edo National Association in the
United
States of America,
which holds annually. I would like to
be informed whether your organization is
aware4 of this body and if so, what you
have done to co-ordinate both activities
for a more effective result. Since your
organization carries the tern �Global�.
I feel you are now taking a higher
responsibility to harmonize the interest
of all
Edo
people in Diaspora towards increasing
the pace of development back home.

The
theme of this Conference � �Edo Unity �
A Means to Economic Emancipation of Edo
People� is aptly chosen, and also
challenging. It is coming at a time
when there is Dare need for self-help
efforts to bring about the economic
development of our land in far away
Edo
State
of
Nigeria.
Government, especially in a developing
economy like ours with meager resources
at its disposal, is incapacitated to
solely effect the development of our
homeland. It is therefore dawned on us,
especially you, Edo�s, working and doing
business in developed economy, to embark
on self help efforts to augment
governments own effort to enhance our
economic and social development.

It is
challenging because only a united people
can forge a common front for economic
development. This is why this
Conference, aimed at unifying all
Edo�s
in Diaspora for the purpose of economic
emancipation of our people, is most
welcome. An Adage says that whoever
wants to eat or chew kernel must first
be ready to crack the shell. By
implication, any people that desire
progress must first of all face the
onerous task of uniting themselves.
There is strength in Unity, Aand Unity
breeds progress. Moreover, it is unity
that serves as tonic that makes people
to generously pull their resources
together for a joint developmental
purpose.
Edo
State
is endowed with rich human and natural
resources that can be effectively
exploited b\y the
Edo
people in
Britain,
America
and other parts of the World, who have
aquired the necessary experience, even
finance, to invest, for the benefit of
both the investor and our people. No
matte how long you stay outside Edo
soil, you are still an
Edo
person and your dream at all times must
be on how to support development efforts
back home.

The
Palace has heard complaints and fears
expressed about come problems of land
acquisition in
Benin City
and its environs. This is not unique to
our state and the problem is not as
serious as you hear it. The palace has
put in place certain facilities to
enable any of his subjects to have
access to land that will be free of
disputes, provided such a person is
ready and willing tom develop the land
for the purpose intended.

At
this juncture, I urge you all to reason
with that American leader, who says one
must think of what he can do for his
country and not what his country can do
for him. This takes us to the idea of
ensuring that Edo Unity forges a common
economic agenda. Economic agenda, to
me, means, all the programs that can be
put together for the purpose of
enhancing the well- being of our people
both at home and in Diaspora, as well as
bringing about modern infrastructural
and technological development of our
homeland. I therefore implore you all to
make this conference a starting point to
put in place measures, including pulling
your resources together, to promote the
common good of our people and State.

I
further urge you all to shun all
divisive tendencies, and remain united
to be able to pursue the noble course of
human and economic emancipation of our
people and State.

Finally, I enjoin you all to co-exist
well with the citizens and other
nationals in wherever you are residing,
and be very obedient to the laws of the
land. Extend your good hands of
fellowship to all and sundry.

I use
this medium to say a big thank you to
representatives of some business groups
of Benin People from
America
and
Britain
who in the recent past came home to
donate hospital/ medical equipments to
our Government.

Once
again, I thank and commend the Edo
Global Organization for organizing this
conference and for letting us be a part
of it. I wish all members of the
Organization on the participant�s
successful deliberations and safe return
to your respective destinations at the
end of the Conference.

I
thank you all for your patience and may
God and our ancestors bless you all.